The College Dropout Boom Analysis

Long ago, receiving education was once something only the rich could afford; it was a luxury. Nowadays it is open to everyone, but many students enter college only to discover that they are underprepared, and in turn they become disenchanted. David Leonhardt’s article, The College Dropout Boom, addresses the issues that are apparent in the education system and how it contributes to the gap between the upper and lower class while Access to Attainment by Abby Miller, Katherine Valle, Jennifer Engle, and Michelle Cooper calls to improve access to college education for today’s students. This is incredibly important because many students either drop out or never attended college and in today’s time, having a Bachelor’s degree has become a requirement

According to Leonhardt, many people who drop out usually plan to go back eventually to get their degrees, but very few actually do. According to “Access to Attainment”, approximately 65% of all job openings will require postsecondary education by the year 2020 and “many of the long-standing programs and policies designed to foster access no longer supports the needs of today’s students” (Miller, et al. 5). The availability of higher education to the public has greatly changed over time, and thus the system and the programs must adapt as well to continue providing the best access and opportunities possible to individuals. “….a college education matters much more now than it once did” (Leonhardt). Lower-class students coming from low-income high schools might not have the same opportunities for learning as their upper-class counterparts, and as a result they are less likely to be accepted to elite universities. The education system is beneficial for many but it is flawed as well, especially in preparing high schoolers for college, which has the potential to greatly impact their

We had a presentation provided for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students about the process of transition, and in my junior year I attended only one college fair. While I was able to explore my options, that was it. Moreover, as a Deaf person, the only universities I knew right off the top of my head that provided access and services for Deaf students were Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York. I know better now, but at the time I didn’t think there were very many options for me. I wanted to attend a university where I would receive access and services, but I also did not have any particular desire to go an extremely long distance away from home. At school I did not receive much guidance and I did not know half of the things that I should have had known when going through the application process. I had no idea what I was doing and my parents had to assist me. As a result, when I discovered California State University of Northridge, we submitted enrollment and housing applications in late. I did not have a place to stay for the first two weeks of college. I ended up staying with a host family, and I left as soon as a dorm room opened up. If I had been more prepared, known how the process worked, and that I had to apply early, then this wouldn’t have